3 Reasons Why Weight Loss is not Measured by Your Bathroom Scale


by William Winch - Date: 2008-09-26 - Word Count: 793 Share This!

If you are exercising and eating healthy but not losing weight, do not get frustrated. Something may be happening that you should be happy about, not sad. For most dieters, the amount of weight they lose is measured in pounds, and it's easy to get hung up on how many of them disappear each day. Don't forget, inches may disappear faster than pounds. I am no stranger to wasting a lot of time and money worrying about a number on the scale, so please...learn from my mistakes!

Weighing yourself is great when you first start losing weight and should only be done once a week at the same time, preferably without clothes. It's fun to know those pounds are just melting away, and it makes you feel good about yourself knowing your body is getting lighter. When you begin coming close to your ideal weight, however, do yourself a favor and throw your scale out the window. Here are the three main reasons why.

Reason Not To Weight Yourself #1: Muscle Weighs More Than Fat
Yes, you read that correctly. Muscle weighs more than fat, more than twice as much as a matter of fact, so if you are lifting weights and building muscle, stop cursing at your bathroom scale. You want to replace fat with muscle, it's what makes a person look lean and toned. The more muscle you build, the quicker your body burns fat. So your goal should actually be to start weighing more!

If you are beginning a weight loss program at the same time you begin lifting weights, you'll be better off to gauge your progress with a tape measure rather than a scale. This will allow you to get a good indication of how your muscles are developing and this is what your focus should be on. Try to look for a change in the mirror and in the way your feel.

Reason Not To Weight Yourself #2: It's An Emotional Obstacle
Some people weigh themselves every morning, some at night and some morning and night. The time of day and frequency makes no difference. Your weight is never going to be exactly what you want it to be because each day is different. Any time you step on a scale your numbers will fluctuate between 2 or 3 pounds depending on what time of day, what you just ate, what clothes you are wearing, etc. If you focus on losing weight every single day, you run the risk of getting depressed when your results don't perfectly match your goals.

In order to lose weight effectively and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must have a positive attitude. Fussing over 1 pound on a scale every day just brings on a whole bunch of uneccessary worrying. There is nothing worse that getting yourself worked up over something that can not be completely controlled. If you are severely overweight and must weigh yourself to measure your progress, do it once a week rather than every day. But remember that everyone loses weight at different rates.

Reason Not To Weight Yourself #3: It Just Doesn't Matter
Have you ever seen someone lose a lot of weight, but their skin sags and they just don't look healthy? That is because they are not doing their body any favors by just being thin. Your health should be your number one priority with any weight loss or exercise program. That saggy person might not be obese anymore, but they are not healthy either and they do not look good. The whole point of losing weight is to get your body healthy and approve your appearance. Who cares how much that weighs?

The bottom line here is that everything can be broken down into a numbers system. It does not mean you have to follow it and let that be the only thing that guides you. You may be they type of person who loses more inches than pounds. The shape of our bodies has something to do with how much we weigh, so as long as you focus on getting into the zone of your ideal weight for your height in a healthy way, no other numbers matter.

The next time you find yourself obsessing over a pound or two, the best thing you can do is pick your scale up and throw it out the window. OK if you don't want to be destructive, put it away in the attic so you stop weighing yourself. The point here is out of sight, out of mind. Living a healthy lifestyle is the most important part about losing weight, no matter if you are losing pounds, inches or neither. If you are not healthy you will have a lot more serious concerns than what the scale says.


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Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report "9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed" visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.

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